The image of cannabis has, over the past few decades, been thoroughly rehabilitated to the point a handy majority of Americans support its full legalization. This is already the case even in states that are considered to be cannabis legalization holdouts, like Texas, where about 2 out 3 people support the unrestricted legal use of cannabis.
Today, it seems that it’s only going to be a matter of time until cannabis is legalized at the federal level, with a controlled status similar to that of alcohol. This is an important point to note. While legal, no one is disputing that alcohol can be a harmful substance in sufficient quantities. However, few people seem to be making this distinction with cannabis.
While cannabis is now considered to be a drug of less concern in Texas compared to opioids and methamphetamines, that does not mean there are no risks to its use.
As with alcohol, the misuse of cannabis has, in multiple studies, been associated with several negative effects on users. What is also concerning is that the THC content of cannabis products has increased severalfold in the past few generations, invalidating or severely weakening older studies that demonstrated its relative safety.
To again use alcoholic beverages as an analogy, you probably wouldn’t directly equate a glass or domestic beer with a glass of moonshine liquor. The alcohol percentages and the relative safety of the two products would be vastly different.
Yet, many people fail to make similar distinctions with natural and heritage strains of cannabis and the current products of selective plant cultivation that have dozens of times the THC content.
Below are some of the negative effects of long-term cannabis use, particularly of strains high in THC, the main psychoactive component. Get in touch with Dallas Drug Treatment Centers to find help for cannabis use disorder and other substance use issues.
While comparatively less risky than other drugs like opioids, MDMA, and methamphetamines, long-term cannabis has been linked to some negative effects. These include but are not limited to the following:
Even with the massive support for its federal legalization, we shouldn’t kid ourselves that cannabis is a completely safe substance. While it may be less risky than other drugs — including alcohol — the sheer potency of current strains may change that. Regardless of whether or not it is legal, we should all know the risks so we can make informed choices for ourselves as well as for the people we love.